lavender

American  

[lav-uhn-der] / ˈlæv ən dər /

noun

• lavenders
  plural

1. a pale bluish purple.

2. any Old World plant or shrub belonging to the genus Lavandula, of the mint family, especially L. angustifolia, having spikes of fragrant, pale purple flowers.

3. the dried flowers or other parts of this plant placed among linen, clothes, etc., for scent or as a preservative.

4. Also called lavender water.  toilet water, aftershave, or the like, made with a solution of oil of lavender.

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adjective

1. of the color lavender.

2. Informal.

   1. of or relating to gay male sexual orientation.

   2. (of a man) gay or effeminate.

lavender British  

/ ˈlævəndə /

noun

1. any of various perennial shrubs or herbaceous plants of the genus Lavandula, esp L. vera, cultivated for its mauve or blue flowers and as the source of a fragrant oil ( oil of lavender ): family Lamiaceae (labiates) See also spike lavender Compare sea lavender

2. the dried parts of L. vera, used to perfume clothes

3. 1. a pale or light bluish-purple to a very pale violet colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      lavender socks

4. perfume scented with lavender

5. informal (modifier) of or relating to homosexuality

   lavender language

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lavenders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lavender

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English lavendre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin lavendula, variant of livendula, nasalized variant (unrecorded) of lividula “a plant livid in color”; see livid , -ule

Explanation

You know that sweet-smelling plant with tiny purple-blue flowers your grandmother has growing in her garden? Well that’s lavender, a sweet-smelling evergreen with 93 different species. If you’re brave and look in your grandmother’s drawer you’ll probably find dried sachets of lavender flowers to keep her clothes smelling nice, as lavender is one of the most common natural scents of all, including an oil made from its essence. The plant has also given its name to the color lavender. So, a plant, a scent and a color — not bad for one little shrub!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lavender lavenders

But thrust “Transamerica” 21 years into the future, and watch as it shakes off “outdated” and “problematic” from either side of Bree’s pristine lavender shoulder pads.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

“Tamara makes lavender syrup and keeps it on hand so there are always spritzes by the pool this time of year,” he continued.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

My apartment is only about six-odd blocks from the park, but closer to the game, I noticed a gigantic wave of red, lavender and white jerseys already crashing toward the watch party.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Actress Chase Sui Wonders dripped with diamonds in a pale lavender dress.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

I propped myself against my closet wall with the two feather pillows that smelled like lavender and that had belonged to Great-great-aunt Florentine.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Speaking to reporters afterwards, she explained her purple outfit was inspired by her love of lavenders and the calmness they bring.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Gophers devoured many of his early plants, including his lavenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

Its circling reds, oranges and lavenders coalesce into a hazy glow that is both multicolored and almost monochromatic.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2021

The right side, the pony, has a cooler palette of blues, whites, pinks and lavenders.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2018

She and William saw them at dusk, when “the sky was so very lovely, too, maroons, lavenders, blues.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• lilac
• violet